The present invention relates generally to semiconductor production systems and, more particularly, to a semiconductor production system capable of improving the accuracy of design, manufacture and inspection processes and also improving throughputs thereof.
In cases where a certain tool outputs a processing result to a file with its format compliant with the currently established standard format, when the input format of another tool fails to comply with the standard format, a need is felt to perform extra works for converting the standard format-compliant output file into the different input format.
A technique for obtaining a processing result in a desired format is disclosed, for example, in FIG. 10-1 on page 180 of “Reuse Methodology Manual,” (ISBN 0-7923-8175-0). In the technique as taught thereby, the desirably formatted processing result is obtainable by repeating a process including the steps of inputting, when a certain tool outputs its processing result into a file with its format compliant with a standard format, this output to another tool, and then outputting this into a file with its own format compatible with another format which is different from the standard format.
Another technique is disclosed in JP-A-2002-296753, which changes the format of a file being input to a device or apparatus in a way conformity with the characteristics of the individual apparatus and then applies required processing, such as sorting or the like, to the contents of such file. For example, it is suggested therein to process the content of a file with a computer aided design (CAD) format which becomes an input of a mask fabrication apparatus. The resultant file is then input to the mask fabrication apparatus, thereby enabling the mask inspection procedure to increase in efficiency.
In addition, in JP-A-2002-299211, a technique is disclosed for reading the standard format-compliant file and for performing the processing which converts it into a “unique” format used inside the apparatus per se. An example shown therein is that in an electron beam drawing apparatus which is one of the currently available mask fabrication apparatuses, when inputting a file with the CAD format, more than one graphic form contained in this file is disassembled into an ensemble of elementary graphical components with prespecified shapes, such as for example rectangles or trapezoids. The input file is then converted into an image draw format unique to the apparatus.
Additionally in U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,328, it is taught that a common database is provided for logic design in order to avoid the format conversion problems stated above.
In the prior art approaches stated supra, the operation linkup capability between tools and also the cooperating capability between apparatuses are realized by sending and receiving—namely, interchanging—those files with their formats compatible with the standard format. Due to this, complicated and time-consuming works are required, such as file format conversion and others. Additionally, either a decrease in accuracy or dropout of information must take place during the conversion process. In particular, the missing of information is significantly appreciable in the case of CAD-formatted mask fabrication data.
For the mask fabrication data, it is a typical approach to utilize a specific CAD format, called the graphic design system II (GDSII). Unfortunately, the information representable by this CAD format is limited to graphical information only. That is, any information concerning semiconductors is not included therein. Accordingly, it is hardly possible to identify the individual graphic information as discrete parts or components, such as semiconductor circuit elements, wiring lines, dummy patterns or equivalents thereto. For this reason, it is impossible to apply the optimum processing to every graphic form—i.e., on a per-component basis.
As shown in the above-cited JP-A-2002-299211, it is possible to eliminate the need for complicated works such as format conversion and the like, by commonly using or “commonizing” the CAD format for both the mask fabrication apparatus and the mask inspection apparatus. However, this approach is deficient in increase of inspection/testing throughputs of the mask inspection apparatus. In other words, providing the common database makes it possible to lighten the complexity of format conversion. However, this common database is realized while letting it be limited in use to the data handled in the field of logic circuit design only. Obviously, when using it for post-processes of the mask fabrication apparatus and/or mask inspection apparatus to be done after the logic circuit design stage, what can be achieved is only the processing that is merely equivalent in level to the currently established ones.